


Your best intentions may not be enough

by isquinnabel



Category: Lost
Genre: Drabble Collection, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-02
Updated: 2012-05-02
Packaged: 2017-11-10 05:47:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/462886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isquinnabel/pseuds/isquinnabel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sideways!verse drabble set, wherein all Jack wants is to make things better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Your best intentions may not be enough

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt _unexpected_ at drabblefix. Title from [When It Don't Come Easy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXuPyE7CKZQ) by Patty Griffin.
> 
> Spoilers through to _The End_.

1.

He doesn't usually feel crippling remorse when a girl lightly brushes past him, but he does this time - the echo of some long-forgotten nightmare grips him, and he can't shake it. It's all he can do to keep himself from clutching at her arm. " _I'm sorry,_ " burns unsaid in his throat. " _I'm so sorry, it's all my fault._ "

She turns up in bio lab, and before he knows what's happening, he's already offered to buy her coffee. She's taken aback, but pleased. Definitely pleased.

He relaxes, only a little. Somehow, coffee just seems like the least he can do.

 

2.

After never-ending lectures from dad about how _college is a time to focus, son_ , it's a satisfying surprise to learn that Juliet is a pretty good influence. Honestly, his main contribution to their study plan is the reward system.

"Hey!" She snaps her fingers at him. "Quit daydreaming."  
He groans. "How long until the next make-out break?"  
He says that to get a smile, and it works. She shoots a grin at him before ducking her head.  
"Seven-and-a-half minutes."

He loves doing that. He never made her smile enough. (Except that that's ridiculous; he makes her smile all the time.)

 

3.

"You alright?"  
"Mmh." She closes her eyes.

Cool breezes gently waft through the window. The campus is mostly empty, and the night is unusually quiet. She's skipping the chance to visit home, citing some vague excuse about enjoying the peace. He doesn't push it, but he suspects she's here for the same reason he is - going home means an entire week of listening to one parent relentlessly complain about the other. Like hell they're going home. They've both got better things to do.

Like this.

"You sure?"  
"Shh," she whispers, leaning into him. "You worry about me too much."

 

4.

She's smart. Driven. She's an unashamed nerd, and it's one of the things he likes ( _loves_ , he corrects himself) about her. So when she doesn't turn up to organic chem, he knows something's wrong.

"Yeah." Her roommate frowns. "She left this morning. Something about needing to see her sister."  
"What? What happened?"  
"She didn't say. Just left in a hurry."

He can't stop pacing. It's not like her - she isn't the sort of person to suddenly bolt.

He passes the time by making her a copy of his notes. It's the only useful thing he can think to do.

 

5.

There's a special sort of terror that comes when you're twenty years old and your endlessly calm girlfriend sobs that she's pregnant.

There's nothing he can do. He can't fix this. His only course of action is to stroke her hair and think irrational thoughts like, "I've done it again. I've ruined her life _again_." (He blinks. What?)

"I'm sorry."  
All he wanted to do was make her happy.  
"This is all my fault. I'm so sorry."

She pulls herself up, eyes still tinged with red.  
"No, it isn't," she sighs. "You need to start letting yourself share blame, Jack."


End file.
